Know your responsibilities as a tenant. Read your lease agreement carefully!
General
- Housing & Apartment Information and Resources (340+ articles on Eviction; Leasing or renting a home; Foreclosure; Owning or buying a home; Utilities; Security deposits; Section 8 Vouchers and public housing; Housing discrimination; Housing repairs; and other issues)
- Illinois Attorney General
- Illinois State Bar Association Guide to Landlord-Tenant Law
- Housing Action Illinois
Tenant Rights and Responsibilities
- Illinois Department of Children & Family Services: Housing Rights and Responsibilities
- Illinois Housing Handbook
- Illinois Attorney General: Landlord and Tenant Rights and Laws
- Access Living or (800) 613-8549 / (888) 243-7003 (Toll Free TTY): A center of service, advocacy, and social change for people with disabilities.
- National Housing Law Project
Resources in Chicago
- Chicago Rents Right Hot-line or (312) 742-7368: Information and assistance on legal responsibilities and rights of renters and property owners.
- Chicago Department of Housing or (312) 744-4190
- Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance
- Rentervention Chat Bot or text “hi” to 866-7RENTER (866-773-6837): Free and confidential help with legal advice, tenant-landlord issues, and community resources.
- Center for Conflict Resolution or (312) 922-6464: Free landlord-tenant mediation.
- Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance or (872) 228-7844
Legal Assistance and Resources
- General and Statewide
- Illinois Legal Aid Online: Free, easy to understand legal advice (find “Housing & Apartment” under “Resources”)
- Illinois COVID H.E.L.P. (Housing & Economic Loss Prevention): Free online tool for people in Illinois who are facing housing, unemployment, and other economic problems because of COVID-19. It provides reliable legal information on the most common legal concerns caused by the pandemic, supported by nonprofit legal aid organizations across the state.
- Prairie State Legal Services (Central and Northern Illinois)
- Land of Lincoln Legal Aid (Central and Southern Illinois) or (877) 342-7891
- HOPE Fair Housing Center (Northern Illinois) or (630) 690-6500
- Chicago Area Legal Assistance and Resources
- Cook County Legal Aid for Housing & Debt (Chicago & Cook County) or (855) 956-5763
- CARPLS Legal Aid Hotline (Cook County) or (312) 738-9200 (Monday - Friday, 9 am - 4:30 pm)
- Legal Aid Chicago (Chicago) or (312) 341-1070
- Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (Chicago) or (312) 347-7600
- Metropolitan Legal Aid Society (Chicago) or (312) 986-4105
- University of Illinois Chicago John Marshall Law School Fair Housing Legal Support Center & Clinic (Chicago)
- Metropolitan Family Services Legal Aid Society (Chicago) or (312) 986-4105
- Uptown People’s Law Center (Chicago) or (773) 769-1411
- Center for Disability & Elder Law (Chicago & Cook) or (312) 376-1880
- South Suburban Housing Center (South Suburbs) or (708) 957-4674
- Open Communities (North Suburbs) or 847-501-5760
- North Suburban Legal Aid Clinic (North Suburbs) or (847) 737-4042
Need Help?
- If you believe your rights may have been violated or are a victim of housing discrimination, we encourage you to submit a complaint. Because there are time limits on when a complaint can be filed with HUD after an alleged violation, you should submit a complaint as soon as possible. You may file a complaint online, call us toll-free at (800) 669-9777 or (800) 877-8339, or email ComplaintsOffice05@hud.gov.
- Want advice on buying a home, renting, default, foreclosure avoidance, credit issues or reverse mortgages? HUD sponsors housing counseling agencies throughout the country to provide free or low cost advice. Search online for a housing counseling agency near you, or call HUD's interactive voice system at: (800) 569-4287. You can also search for HUD-approved Housing Counseling Agencies by Zip Code using the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website.
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